Commentaria in I Regum (I Samuelis)
Chapter 17. Synopsis of the Chapter
The duel of David with Goliath, in which David, verse 49, overthrew him with a sling, and cut off his head with his own sword. Whence the Philistines flee, verse 52, and the Hebrews pursue and slay them. Finally, verse 57, Abner leads David, triumphing and carrying in his hand the head of Goliath, to Saul.
1. Now the Philistines gathering their troops to battle, assembled at Socho of Juda, and encamped between Socho and Azeca, in the borders of Dommim. 2. And Saul and the men of Israel being gathered together, came to the valley of Terebinth, and set the army in array to fight against the Philistines. 3. And the Philistines stood on a hill on one side, and Israel stood on a hill on the other side: and there was a valley between them. 4. And there went out a man baseborn from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Geth, whose height was six cubits and a span: 5. And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was clothed with a coat of mail with scales: and the weight of his coat of mail was five thousand sicles of brass. 6. And he had brazen greaves on his legs, and a brazen shield covered his shoulders. 7. And the shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam: and the head of his spear weighed six hundred sicles of iron: and his armourbearer went before him. 8. And he stood and cried out to the bands of Israel, and said to them: Why are you come out prepared to fight? Am not I a Philistine, and you servants of Saul? Choose out a man of you, and let him come down and fight hand to hand. 9. If he be able to fight with me, and kill me, we will be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, you shall be servants, and shall serve us. 10. And the Philistine said: I have reproached the bands of Israel this day: give me a man, and let him fight with me hand to hand. 11. And Saul and all the Israelites hearing these words of the Philistine, were dismayed, and greatly afraid. 12. Now David was the son of an Ephrathite, of whom we spoke above, of Bethlehem Juda, whose name was Isai, who had eight sons, and was an old man in the days of Saul, and of great age among men. 13. And his three eldest sons followed Saul to the war: and the names of his three sons who went to the battle, were Eliab the firstborn, the second Abinadab, and the third Samma. 14. And David was the youngest. The three eldest therefore being gone after Saul, 15. David went, and returned from Saul, to feed his father’s flock at Bethlehem. 16. Now the Philistine came out morning and evening, and presented himself forty days. 17. And Isai said to David his son: Take for thy brethren an ephi of ptisan, and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren. 18. And carry these ten cheeses to the tribune: and visit thy brethren, if they be well, and with whom they are placed learn. 19. Now Saul, and they, and all the children of Israel were in the valley of Terebinth, fighting against the Philistines. 20. And David rose early in the morning, and left the flock to the keeper, and taking his load went his way as Isai had commanded him: and he came to the place of Magala, and to the army which was going out to fight, and shouted for the battle. 21. For Israel had put the army in array, and the Philistines stood against them. 22. And David left the things he had brought, under the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran to the place of the fight, and asked if all went well with his brethren. 23. And while he was yet talking with them, the baseborn man appeared, Goliath by name, the Philistine of Geth, coming up from the camp of the Philistines, and speaking the same words as before, and David heard them. 24. And all the Israelites, when they saw the man, fled from his face, fearing him exceedingly. 25. And one of Israel said: Have you seen this man who is come up? for he is come up to defy Israel. And the man that shall kill him, the king will enrich with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free from tribute in Israel. 26. And David spoke to the men that stood with him, saying: What shall be given to the man that shall kill this Philistine, and shall take away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 27. And the people repeated to him the same words, saying: This shall be given to the man that shall kill him. 28. And when Eliab his elder brother heard him speaking with others, he was angry, and said: Why camest thou hither? and why didst thou leave those few sheep in the desert? I know thy pride and the wickedness of thy heart, that thou art come down to see the battle. 29. And David said: What have I done? is it not a word? 30. And he turned a little from him to another, and said the same word: and the people answered him again as before. 31. And the words which David spoke, were rehearsed before Saul. 32. And when he was brought to him, he said: Let not any man’s heart be dismayed in him; I thy servant will go, and will fight against the Philistine. 33. And Saul said to David: Thou art not able to withstand this Philistine, nor to fight against him: for thou art but a boy, but he is a warrior from his youth. 34. And David said to Saul: Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, or a bear, and took a ram out of the midst of the flock: 35. And I pursued after them, and struck them, and delivered it out of their mouth: and they rose up against me, and I caught them by the throat, and I strangled and killed them. 36. For I thy servant have killed both a lion and a bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be also as one of them. Now I will go, and take away the reproach of the people: for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, who hath ventured to curse the army of the living God? 37. And David said: The Lord who delivered me out of the hand of the lion, and out of the hand of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David: Go, and the Lord be with thee. 38. And Saul clothed David with his garments, and put a helmet of brass upon his head, and armed him with a coat of mail. 39. And David girding on his sword over his armour, began to try if he could walk in armour: for he was not accustomed to it. And David said to Saul: I cannot go thus, for I am not used to it. And he laid them off. 40. And he took his staff, which he had always in his hands, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s scrip which he had with him, and took a sling in his hand, and went forth against the Philistine. 41. And the Philistine came on, and drew nigh against David, and his armourbearer before him. 42. And when the Philistine looked and beheld David, he despised him. For he was a youth, ruddy, and of a comely countenance. 43. And the Philistine said to David: Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with a staff? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44. And he said to David: Come to me, and I will give thy flesh to the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the earth. 45. Then David said to the Philistine: Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, which thou hast defied. 46. This day, and the Lord will deliver thee into my hand, and I will slay thee, and take away thy head from thee: and I will give the carcasses of the army of the Philistines this day to the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the earth: that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47. And that all this assembly may know, that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for it is his battle, and he will deliver you into our hands. 48. And when the Philistine arose, and was coming, and drew nigh to meet David, David made haste and ran to the fight to meet the Philistine. 49. And he put his hand into his scrip, and took a stone, and cast it with the sling, and fetching it about, struck the Philistine in the forehead: and the stone was fixed in his forehead, and he fell on his face upon the earth. 50. And David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck and slew the Philistine. And as David had no sword in his hand, 51. He ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath: and slew him, and cut off his head. And the Philistines seeing that their champion was dead, fled away. 52. And the men of Israel and Juda rising up, shouted, and pursued after the Philistines, till they came to the valley, and to the gates of Accaron: and there fell wounded of the Philistines in the way of Saraim, and as far as Geth, and as far as Accaron. 53. And the children of Israel returning, after they had pursued the Philistines, assaulted their camp. 54. And David taking the head of the Philistine, brought it to Jerusalem: but his armour he put in his tent. 55. At that time when Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the general of his army: Of what family is this youth, Abner? And Abner said: As thy soul liveth, O king, I do not know. 56. And the king said: Inquire thou whose son this young man is. 57. And when David returned from slaying the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him in before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58. And Saul said to him: Of what family art thou, young man? And David said: I am the son of thy servant Isai the Bethlehemite.